Safety first! Well, unless you can do your job more efficiently without worrying about health and safety regulations. In which case, you do you!

The OSHA subreddit is a treasure trove of terrible decisions made by employees who don’t seem to be concerned about violating rules or losing limbs while on the job, so below, we’ve gathered some of the best (and most concerning) photos that have ever been shared in this online group. Enjoy scrolling through these examples of what not to do while at work, and be sure to upvote the pics that you find particularly entertaining!

#1 Emergency “Exit” In A Friend’s Office Building. First Time They Opened It Was During A Fire Alarm

Image credits: Bansaiii

#2 I Think My City Ordered Their Cones Off Of Wish.com

Image credits: Badusernameguy2

#3 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA, exists “to assure America’s workers have safe and healthful working conditions free from unlawful retaliation,” according to their website. But a quick visit to the OSHA subreddit will show you that plenty of people’s primary concern is not workplace safety. In fact, it seems like lots of employees go out of their way to put themselves in danger while on the job!

Despite the fact that OSHA is an American organization, this online community welcomes safety violations from all over the world. And there are certainly some interesting ones! While the first industries that might come to mind when you consider workplace safety are construction sites and warehouses, this subreddit proves that any work environment can become dangerous with dedication to ignoring the rules. Or having no rules in the first place!    

#4 Newton’s First Law Of Motion

Image credits: TheComputer314

#5 Somethin Ain’t Right About This

Image credits: courtesy_flush_plz

#6 I’m A Photographer And I Saw This In Downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia

“Could have at least gotten a little closer”

Image credits: super_nova_135

Depending on where you work, the most common injuries in your office might be sore wrists from typing all day or back pain from sitting at a desk for too long. But if you’re curious what the most common OSHA violations are, VelocityEHS has compiled a list of the most frequently cited standards in 2023. At the top of the list comes the general requirements for fall protection, which were apparently violated over 7,200 times.

Hazard communication is another important area where many employees ignore OSHA’s regulations. This standard was cited 3,213 times last year. Ladders and scaffolding are often abused by workers as well, as the standards for both were violated nearly 3,000 each. When it comes to powered industrial trucks and lockout/tagout standards, workers broke the rules over 2,500 for both.

#7 Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison Trying His Hand At Welding

Image credits: nonsensepoem

#8 Corporate Says Tires Are Too Expensive And All Of Our Delivery Vans Are Just Fine

Image credits: Yggdrasil5218

#9 The Sign I Keep On My Workbench

Image credits: ViolenceForBreakfast

There are plenty of workplaces that put employees’ lungs in danger as well, and according to VelocityEHS, respiratory protection rules were broken over 2,400 times last year. Fall protection is another important aspect of safety that many employees need to be reminded of, as the training requirements for fall protection were violated over 2,100 times in 2023. Over 2,000 employees also were caught not wearing proper personal protective and lifesaving equipment, specifically over their faces and eyes. And 1,644 workers violated OSHA’s machine guarding regulations. 

#10 When You Don’t Properly Secure Your Load

Image credits: 5_Frog_Margin

#11 The Fire Exit On This College Building

Image credits: ghatroad

#12 Absolutely No Ppe In Sight

Image credits: SporksAndForks

Thankfully, injuries don’t result from every single instance of employees ignoring safety rules. But risking health and safety to cut corners still isn’t worth it. The National Safety Council reports that the top three occupational injuries employees in the United States suffer that lead to needing days off are exposure to harmful substances or environments, overexertion, and falls, slips and trips. After that, common injuries and exposures include contact with objects and equipment, violence and injuries by other persons or animals, transportation injuries, non-classifiable injuries, and fires and explosions. 

#13 Managment Says Its Fine/Not An Issue

Image credits: atomikcabbage

#14 I Used To Work At An Auto Shop, This Was One Of The Lifts For Vehicles

Image credits: Candyjiblets

#15 To Be An Aircon Technician, You Must Have Good Balance As Well

Image credits: MiraiShinji

As hilarious as the photos on this list may be, it’s important to remember that workplace safety is no laughing matter. According to SafetyIQ, having a safe working environment is crucial because it increases productivity, lowers the risk of accidents, prevents fatalities and reduces safety costs and inconveniences. And of course, it’s required by law for employers to enforce safety regulations.   

#16 This Is His First Day In The Industry

Image credits: Aknm102

#17 All Good. She’ll Hold, Now Back To Work

Image credits: Browndog888

#18 On The Brink Of Decapitating Someone

Image credits: sarge-m

The National Safety Council reports that, in 2022, the total cost of workplace injuries was a whopping $167 billion. This breaks down to $1,040 per worker, $1.39 million per death and $40,000 per injury that required a medical consultation. And when it comes to how many days of work were lost due to injuries in 2022, the grand total was 108 million. 75 million of those days were lost due to injuries that occurred during that year, while 33 million were thanks to injuries that had happened in years prior. And it’s estimated that 60 million more days will be lost in the future due to the injuries of 2022.  

#19 When You Have An Ample Supply Of Straps But Don’t Have An Extra $250 For A Bigger Truck

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#20 You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

Image credits: SafetyDojo

#21 By Counting The Rings You Can Determine This Tyre Is Too Old

Image credits: ooqt

So how can we create safer working environments to prevent accidents, keep productivity high and ensure that employees are well taken care of? SafetyIQ notes that the first step is understanding and detecting workplace hazards. Identifying risks ahead of time is how we can prevent people from getting hurt in the first place. It’s also key to promote a culture of safety in the workplace. Encourage employees to use safe practices and to frequently familiarize themselves with health and safety regulations.

#22 Dad’s Friend Came Across This. Seems Legit

Image credits: wearing_moist_socks

#23 When Your Breaker Keeps Tripping

Image credits: mrheosuper

#24 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

Another important aspect when it comes to cultivating a safe working environment is making sure employees receive thorough training as soon as they start. Studies show that new hires are the most likely to have accidents while on the job, so it’s crucial that they’re informed of dangers in the workplace and educated on how to avoid them. Nobody should ever have to risk their life or risk losing a limb just to earn a paycheck.

#25 Sometimes You Just Got To Get Er’ Done!

Image credits: chylin73

#26 It’s Probably Fine

Image credits: Nailyou866

#27 The Warehouse Across From My Job

Image credits: Captain_Cole_

We hope you’re enjoying these photos of what not to do at work, pandas. Keep upvoting the ones you find most hilarious, and let us know in the comments below if you’ve ever witnessed any questionable behavior like this while on the job. Then, if you want to check out even more examples of stupidity in the workplace, we think you’ll love this Bored Panda piece too!

#28 Doesn’t Look Too Safe

Image credits: quasi_kid

#29 Just Started As The Safety Guy Of A New Plant. We’ve Got A Little Ways To Go

Image credits: dongbroker

#30 I’m Not Sure The Wooden Edge Of The Playground Is The Best Place To Store Your Burning, Unsupervised Blowtorch

Image credits: Birdseeding

#31 Saw This Ad On Youtube The Other Day

Image credits: The-Sofa-King

#32 This Will Go Swimmingly

Image credits: Virasman

#33 Safety 3rd!

Image credits: ChatnNaked

#34 No Issues With This Pier

Image credits: kittykalista

#35 Either Way I’m Going To Die, At Least I Can Go Painlessly

Image credits: LordLoko

#36 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#37 Manager Has Zip Tied Our Only Emergency Door Shut For The Past 2 Months Because They’re “Tired Of Theives Running Out The Back”

Image credits: Valladian

#38 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#39 Tape, Concrete… Same Thing

Image credits: ChewybacaXD

#40 Freshmen… Amiright?!

Image credits: Lord_Nickyboi

#41 Safety Poster At An Amazon Warehouse

Image credits: s1gnalZer0

#42 A Truck That Barely Strapped On It’s Cargo

Image credits: weavertheleader

#43 Screw It – That’s Close Enough

Image credits: jaykirsch

#44 There Was A Police Officer Next To That Van Before I Took This Picture

Image credits: Striped_Sponge

#45 We’re All Gonna Die

Image credits: caboose2006

#46 Might Wanna Strap That Down, Pa Roads Get Bumpy

Image credits: staykinky

#47 I See That Evertbody Followed Safety Rules On Last Nights Shift

Image credits: WartPig

#48 Not Sure How I Feel About The New Lock Out Tag Out

Image credits: AldoG960

#49 So That’s How They Do It

Image credits: Esstien

#50 What Could Go Wrong?

Image credits: anon

#51 Removal Of Original Torch In 1985. Cool Harness

Image credits: MitchMcConnellsJowls

#52 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#53 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#54 How To Transport A Pane Of Glass…

Image credits: reddit.com

#55 “The Things We Do To Make A Dollar” – Some Tweaker On My Fb

Image credits: CadillacRojo

#56 One Of My Guys Sent Me This Today

Image credits: amberb

#57 A Safety Refresher Might Be Necessary

Image credits: merk35802

#58 Hang In There Buddy

Image credits: marxist_redneck

#59 I Don’t See A Problem Here

Image credits: floridamitch

#60 A Great Way To Show That You’re Absolutely Loving Your Job

Image credits: abiskue

#61 What Is The Name Of This Stacking Game?

Image credits: KotAufmBrot

#62 Nothing Wrong Here?

Image credits: reddit.com

#63 There’s Something Almost Poetic About This

Image credits: linkielambchop

#64 When You’re The New Guy And There’s Not Enough Room In The Truck

Image credits: honchoryanc2

#65 Looks Like Art!

Image credits: Popal24

#66 Contractor In Our Company

Image credits: KyloRen3

#67 This Hammer Was Repaired In My Work Today

Image credits: ndstrctbl

#68 I Guess I’ll Just Die

Image credits: reddit.com

#69 My Roommate Has An Interesting Way Of Ironing His Pants

Image credits: ShiftyStyrofoam

#70 The Ladders Are Ratchet Strapped Together

Image credits: sassbanana

#71 Tired Of Working

Image credits: mserdarsanli

#72 Height Aside, How The Hell Are The Ladders Connected?

Image credits: KotAufmBrot

#73 More Than One Problem Here…

Image credits: dnekrash

#74 The Ascension

Image credits: TheNomadBro

#75 Looks Like An Osha Violation But Ok

Image credits: Looks like an OSHA violation but ok

#76 New Machine-Guarding Safety Measures

Image credits: Cinner21

#77 My Buddy Just Snapped Me This…

Image credits: SarkastikAmbassador